Art Center Sarasota Announces Spring Art Show Winners

May 20, 2022 – Sarasota

Students from 17 elementary, 7 middle, and 6 high schools throughout Sarasota County showed off their creative talents at the North County K-12 Spring Art Show, May 10-21, at Art Center Sarasota. Fifty teachers participated in the effort. Debra Markley, Sarasota High School’s art department chairperson, and Angela Hartvigsen, the fine arts program specialist for Sarasota County Schools, led the coordination. The North County Art show is presented in conjunction with the South County Art Show at the Venice Art Center to comprise the Sarasota County Schools’ Spring Art Show, serving all the county’s public schools. Judges for the North County Show were Diane Zorn (Ringling College Continuing Studies & Special Studies); Jason Stockman (SCF’s Art Design & Humanities department); Krista Nemeth (senior assistant director of admissions for Ringling College); and Amber Halt (marketing director at Daiquiri Deck). Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. For information, visit www.artsarasota.org or call 941-365-2032.

Christina Baril, Art Center Sarasota’s exhibitions coordinator, says there were plenty of awards to compete for. She explains that students in K-8^th grades were awarded “Best of the Best” recognition—approximately two awards per grade per school. “High school students had their work judged in 12 categories by arts educators,” she says. “Winning artwork was awarded first-, second- and third-place place ribbons.”

High school students were eligible for several large awards. State College of Florida offered one full-year tuition scholarship. Ringling College of Art and Design awarded two $10,000 scholarships. The college also offered $325 scholarships to be applied toward teen concentration or pre-college courses at Ringling College.

Other awards included: A $100 Best in Show prize for a senior from Education Foundation of Sarasota County; two $100 prizes from Art Center Sarasota; a $100 prize from Art & Frame Sarasota; a $200 prize from the Sarasota Art Educators Association; and a $100 award from Arts Advocates.

Here’s a glimpse at some of the top winners:

Portfolio Scholarships:                           

• State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota awarded a full year of tuition to Cierra Smith (North Port High School). Judges were Margy Rich and Jason Stockman of SCF’s Art, Design and Humanities department.
• Ringling College awarded $10,000 to Layna Malave (Pine View School) and Christina Petrole (North Port High School). The judge was Krista Nemeth, senior assistant director of admissions at Ringling College.

Best of School Award sponsored by Ringling College’s Continuing Studies & Special Studies. Students received a $325 credit to take a class:

• Abigail Schmitt (Booker High School)                           
• Jamie Vaccaro (Riverview High School)           
• Aedan Teitsch (Sarasota High School)             

Special awards were:

• Imaginative and Epic Award ($100): Sponsored by Art Center Sarasota: Madeleine Harwell (Sarasota High School)
• Originality Award ($200): Sponsored by Sarasota Arts Educators Association:  Linzie Goodnight (Sarasota High School)
• Most Expressive Award ($100): Sponsored by Art and Frame Sarasota: Sophia Zaza (Riverview High School)
• Most Creative Award: ($100): Sponsored by Art Center Sarasota: Evanah Rodriguez (Riverview High School)       

Captions:

• Sculpture award winners:  First Place: Teya Jeanloz, a 12^th grade student at Sarasota High School; Second Place: Amabelle Truong, a 10^th grade student at Booker High School; Third Place: Linzie Goodnight, a 12^th grade student at Sarasota High School, at the North County K-12 Spring Art Show at Art Center Sarasota.